Dimension Suspension
by Teh Llamainator
Summary: After England accidentally sends America to an alternate dimension he finds himself in a world filled with nations that are the same, yet completely different from the ones he already knows. 2p characters, Human names used, M for future lemons and language.
1. Dimensioncrossing for Dummies

England winced when he heard the sound of a door slamming upstairs, followed by heavy footsteps and a loud, obnoxious voice.

"Yo, England!" America called, grinning as he searched for the older nation, "You home?"

England sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration and setting down the large spell book that he had been holding. Why did he have to be interrupted now, and by America of all people?

"Yes I'm home, you bloody git! But leave me alone, I'm quite busy!" he shouted in response, hoping that America would actually listen to him this time and let him finish what he was doing.

But of course, this was not the case.

After hearing England's voice he stomped down the stairs and burst into the basement where England was standing in an old looking black cloak.

"Hi, England! Whatcha doin'?" America asked as he glanced at the objects scattered around England's basement.

"What does it look like I'm doing, twit? I'm casting a spell, of course!" England huffed and gestured at the herbs, potions, and bits of dead things scattered around the room as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Uh huh…" America replied, looking skeptically at a large circle that was drawn on the floor with chalk, "And how's that going?"

"It would be going well if you hadn't interrupted me! Speaking of which, I would appreciate it if you left immediately and let me finish my incantation!" he snapped.

Ignoring him, America continued looking around the basement, stopping to read the spell book that was lying open on a table next to England.

"And what exactly is this "spell" going to do?"

"If you must know, it's a spell for teleportation!" England hissed before snatching the book away from the insufferable American, "And will you please just get the hell out of here already?"

"Teleportation? That sounds awesome! Can I watch?" America asked, sure he didn't really believe in magic and spells like his former caretaker, but if it actually did work that would be pretty badass!

England sighed again, realizing that America wasn't going to leave any time soon.

"Fine, but you must be absolutely quiet and not distract me in any way, alright?"

America laughed, but after receiving a piercing glare from England he grinned and shut up, waiting expectantly for England to continue.

England hesitated for only a second before he picked up his spell book and continued preparing his spell. After mixing together a few more ingredients in a large wooden bowl England set down the book and cleared his throat.

"Weeto meeto purple feet-o, black and yellow 'ello fellow, Presley Elvis Weasley Ronald! Telaportium me thereium!" England chanted, throwing the ingredients from the bowl into the circle at his feet dramatically.

America raised an eyebrow when he heard England's incantation, but he gasped when the chalk circle suddenly glowed a bright purple. He took a step back and his elbow knocked against a bookshelf, causing a vial of bright green liquid to fall off and land in the circle, breaking instantly and spilling all over it.

"Now look what you've done!" England screeched, "We have no idea how the potion will react to-"

He was cut short when the circle flashed an angry red and filled the room with its blinding light. America yelped in surprise and England shielded his eyes from the light with his arm. When England slowly opened his eyes again the room was back to normal, and America was gone.

* * *

The large light-brown haired man adjusted his scarf as he observed the other people seated at the large table in the World Meeting room. Like all of the other meetings, this one was quite chaotic. Several fights had already broken out, and absolutely nothing was getting done.

"So what do you think, Russia?"

Russia looked up and frowned at the smiling blond man that had spoken to him.

"About what?" he replied, looking somewhat bored.

The blond giggled and shook his head.

"Now, now, Russia~ Is someone not paying attention to the meeting?"

"I might if you were talking about something worth my time, England. But this is usually not the case," Russia explained, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

There was a snort from the other end of the table, and all heads turned towards the nation that had made the sound. Said nation raised an eyebrow at the large Russian over his red-tinted sunglasses.

"We were discussing ways to solve global warming. I'm willing to bet that that's more important than whatever was going on in your insane head," he chided.

Russia glared at the dark haired man, red eyes flashing dangerously.

"Maybe, America. And I know that your mental health is not much better than my own," Russia replied darkly.

Before America could reply they were interrupted by a certain blonde haired individual with glasses and an odd curl sticking out on one side of his head.

"Wait, wait! There's no need to argue!" the man exclaimed, turning to his twin that sat on his right, "Right, fratello?"

Italy grunted and crossed his arms, replying with an annoyed "Just shut up, Romano."

This started an argument between Italy and Spain, and soon there were more arguments popping up all over the table. England giggled again and turned to France with a large grin.

"My, it's like this every time! Sometimes I wish that we could actually get some work done in one of these silly meetings!" he exclaimed.

France puffed on his cigarette before turning to look at the grinning Brit.

"Then why do you look so damn happy?" he asked, making England's smile stretch even farther.

"Why, because it's so fun to watch!" he replied, laughing as France turned away with a mutter and shake of his head.

Suddenly he heard a soft beeping sound and he glanced down at his pink watch. Well, it looked like the meeting was over for today!

"Alright, everyone! That's all the time we have for today's meeting, but I'll see all of you again tomorrow, dears~!" England shouted to be heard over the din in the meeting room.

There were a few more curses and insults before the sound of creaking chairs and shuffling feet filled the room as the nations filed out of the room.

Once Russia arrived at the hotel he was staying at (the World Meeting was being held in England) he immediately walked to the bed and flopped down on it with a sigh. He thought that they were completely pointless. Nobody cared about his opinions, and when they tried to talk to him his sarcastic remarks usually lead to arguments. Did they ever solve any of the world's problems with those stupid meeting like they were supposed to? He doubted it.

A loud crash was heard from the bathroom in the hotel. Russia was on his feet in a second, clutching the long metal pipe that he always carried with him. What was that? Russia considered the situation for a moment before slowly creeping to the bathroom, and quietly pushing open the door…

On the floor lay a young looking blonde-headed man, his glasses askew on his handsome face, and his bomber jacket torn in several places. On the tiles surrounding him were purple scorch marks, in the shape of an intricate circle. He sat up with a pained groan, and froze when he saw the tall Russian man who was staring at him curiously.

* * *

Heeey, I'm Llama-chan! I'm sorry that this chapter is so short, but it's kind of like an introduction and stuff so deal. I'm kind of new to the whole fanfiction writing business, so go easy on me, m'kay? And I don't know all that much about the 2p's, so if you think that I'm messing up one of their personalities/looks terribly, feel free to tell me! Feedback is appreciated, R&R everyone!

*the llama is out*


	2. Awkward Moments

"America?" Russia inquired, staring at the nation curiously. At least, that's who he looked like, but he somehow seemed different…

"Wh-where am I?" he stammered, ruining the effect of the glare he was sending the tall Russian, "How the hell did I get here?!"

"How would I know? I was about to ask you the same thing. And you are in London, da?"

America blinked as he digested the information. So he wasn't far from where he remembered being last, but how did he get here? And who was the creep with the scarf and pipe? Wait… A creep with a scarf and a pipe… America did a double take.

"Dude, Russia? What the fuck, man! I could barely recognize you! What are you wearing? Did you dye your hair?!"

Russia frowned in confusion, glancing at the bathroom mirror to see if he looked any different than he usually did.

"These are the clothes that I normally wear, and my hair has always been this color," he replied, eyes narrowing suspiciously, "But you, America, do seem different."

Before America had a chance to react a large, gloved hand grabbed his chin and forced his head up. His eyes widened when he met the piercing gaze of the nation before him. Russia's calculating eyes took in America's shining blonde hair, flawless tanned skin, and those glimmering sky blue orbs that were much to pure to be the eyes of a nation from his world.

"So tell me," Russia growled near America's ear, causing him to flinch, "Who are you really?"

* * *

Back in the first dimension, the nations were also holding a World Meeting. When it was about to start, Germany shouted for silence and the room slowly quieted.

"Now, is everyone present and accounted for?" he asked, looking over the nations assembled as they all nodded. After a second he noticed that Italy's hand was in the air and he called on him.

"Ve, where is Mister America?" Italy asked, and Germany finally noticed the country's absence.

"He is probably late again," Germany sighed, "I say it would be best to start the meeting without him."

So the meeting continued like it normally would, but ask the minutes passed and America still did not arrive Germany became more and more annoyed.

"That is it, does anyone have any idea where America is?" he finally asked, and he watched with growing frustration as the countries seated at the table looked at each other and shook their heads.

"I… I know where he is."

Everyone focused their attention on England, and Germany crossed his arms.

"Well? Where is he, then?"

"Well… Um, actually, I don't know exactly where he is, but I know what happened to him and I may be able to find out where he is if-"

Germany raised a hand to stop him.

"What happened?" he asked with a sigh.

"Well, yesterday I was about to cast a spell," there were several snickers heard around the room, and England glared in their direction, "And he came to my house and interrupted me. Quite rudely I might add. So, to shut him up, I let him stay and watch. And of course the wanker had to go and mix two potions that didn't belong together-who knows what the results might have been!- and it kind of… Teleported him away," England explained.

"…Teleported him away," Germany repeated, giving England an odd look, "Well, er… Do you have any idea where he might have been… Teleported to?"

"That's just it," England replied, "I don't. He can be anywhere in the world!"

Germany slapped a hand to his forehead. "Of course. Well, thank you, England, even though that information was of little use…"

"But," England added, "I may know a way to find him…"

* * *

America jerked his head away from the strong grip, glaring at the Russian as he rubbed his jaw.

"What are you talking about?! I'm the United States of fucking America, stupid commie!" America managed to hold the angry glare on his face, but panic was beginning to bubble in his chest. When he had looked into Russia's fiery red eyes, he had finally realized that his looks weren't all that was different. His personality also seemed somewhat… Darker. And it scared him. But he was the hero, and the hero should never get scared, especially by a villain like Russia! And suddenly he was struck by a seemingly impossible thought. Maybe Russia… Wasn't the only thing that was different? He ran over to the nearest window to confirm his suspicions, and gasped at the sight that awaited him. It was definitely London, but everything was brightly colored, and the streets were packed with bakeries and colorful shops. Even Big Ben, looming above the rest of the buildings, was hot pink.

"Holy shit…" he gasped, "Am I in, like… The future or something?"

America whirled around to face the other nation occupying the room, who was still staring at him and frowning.

"Maybe when England opened that magic portal thingy the potion I knocked into it somehow changed it into… A magic time travel portal thingy!" he announced, eyes gleaming with pride at his newfound discovery, "Hey Russia, what year is it?!"

"…2012…" he replied, seeming utterly confused by the whole ordeal. He grew even more confused when America's shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"So I guess I'm not in the future…" he muttered, pouting childishly.

Russia growled and tapped his pipe against his leg impatiently.

"Listen. You should start explaining yourself now, and start making more of the sense. Who are you, why are you here, and how did you get here?"

"Listen, dude. I already told you, I'm America. I came here because England somehow teleported me here from his basement. But the last time I was here, everything was… Well, different. And you were different, too! I mean, I haven't even seen your creepy smile the whole time I've been here!" America explained, throwing his arms in the air in exasperation.

"So…" Russia murmured, trying to piece together an explanation, "You're trying to say that England teleported you from a place that looks like this… Where there is a country that looks like me, but acts differently, da?"

America nodded uncertainly. Russia shook his head. None of this made any sense. As far as he knew, England didn't have the technology or know the magic to teleport someone. This man was most likely lying, or just delusional. Unless… He was struck with an idea that seemed even less likely than America's previous solution.

"So… What does London usually look like?" he asked.

"Well, uh… It's a lot drearier and… Less colorful?"

"And what do I usually look and act like?" Russia pressed.

"Um… Well, your hair is usually silvery, and your eyes are purple… Oh, and you usually smile a lot!"

"What about… Italy?"

"Italy? Well, he's kinda dorky, and he's always happy! And he's always hiding behind Germany, 'cause he's scared of, like, everything…" America continued, before tilting his head to the side and looking at Russia curiously, "But why am I telling you this, again…?"

"Well, малютка…" Russia murmured, "It sounds to me like you were transported here from another dimension…"

A heavy silence filled the room, and America stared up at Russia as he tried to absorb what he had just said.

"Another… Dimension?" he asked, chuckling lightly, "What do you mean…?"

"If you are telling the truth then the most likely explanation is that there is an alternate universe filled with different versions of the same people and places," Russia explained calmly, and America looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Different versions of the same people… That's… Crazy, but I guess that it kind of makes sense… But dude, two Russia's?! The world can barely handle one!" he exclaimed, and Russia was certain that if the man kept being this annoying there would soon be a large, pipe shaped dent in his head," …Wait, does that mean that there's another me, too? Sweet! What's he like? Is he totally heroic, like me?"

Russia snorted. "Heroic… Is not the first word that comes to mind when I think of America. He is quite… Violent. Cruel. And unstable. Though he is quick witted, and powerful…

America blanched when he heard Russia's description of his second self. That sounded like… Well, the opposite of him. Except for the powerful part.

"Is everyone in this dimension more… Evil?" he asked, the thought making him shiver.

Russia seemed to ponder this for a second before replying.

"Well… I wouldn't say that we're 'evil,'" he answered darkly, beginning to walk slowly towards the smaller nation, "But some of us are a little… More so than others."

America tried to back away from the approaching Russian, but his back was soon against the wall. His eyes widened when Russia pressed his palms to the walls on either side of him, leaving no room for escape. America could feel his warm breath on his scalp, and he blushed when the warm air billowed around that one sensitive strand of hair that made him feel oh so hot…

And then it was gone. America wasn't sure if he wanted to protest or sigh in relief when the large Russian stepped away.

"I am tired. We may continue this conversation in the morning if you want to," Russia announced bluntly, turning to exit the bathroom.

"Um, uh… Y-yeah, good idea. But- Oh God what are you doing?!" he yelped, realizing that Russia was starting to take off his clothes.

Russia raised an eyebrow. "What does it look like I am doing? I am changing into clothes more comfortable for the sleeping," he replied, continuing to take his shirt off before replacing it with a looser, more comfortable one.

America couldn't help but stare when Russia's chest was exposed for those brief seconds. Not only because it was smooth and chiseled and sexy as hell, but because of the scars that covered it. He also noticed that he didn't take his scarf off, much like the regular Russia…

"C-can you at least warn me or something next time?"

"Da, whatever," Russia growled, seeming to think that it was a matter of little importance.

An awkward silence filled the room yet again, and America coughed nervously to fill it.

"So, uh… Where am I gonna sleep, big guy?" America asked, realizing that there was only one bed in this room.

"I do not care. But you may stay in the bed with me, if you like," Russia replied, a hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I… What?! Uh, thanks but no thanks, Russki! I'd rather sleep on the floor!" America said hastily.

"Suit yourself," Russia muttered, shrugging and climbing into the bed, "Goodnight, малютка."

"Yeah… 'Night, commie," America yawned, settling down in a plush chair in the corner of the room. It would have to do.

As he drifted off into sleep he thought about the events of his day. Another dimension… This was a new one. He wondered if the other countries here would be as bad as he thought they would. This second Russia somehow managed to be even creepier than the first, and that's saying something. As he finally succumbed to sleep's gentle hold he hoped that the man didn't try anything while he was out…

* * *

малютка- Little one or baby

**Well, this chapter is a little longer than the last one! Have I metioned how much I love 2p Russia? X3 So, tell me what you think because feedback is appreciated! Thanks!**

***the llama is out***


	3. Why Can't They be Friends?

America groaned at the unwelcome sound of window blinds being yanked open, followed by a stream of blinding sunlight shining right in his face. He covered his eyes with an arm, muttering a drowsy "just ten more minutes," but his tormenter would have none of it.

"Nyet." Grunting, Russia ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair. He hadn't even known this boy for a day, and he could already tell that he was going to be quite annoying. There was a reason that the Russian always tried to keep to himself, and why he never he never had many close friends. He tended to lose his temper quite easily, and would usually end up lashing out at the people he cared about, so nobody wanted to be his friend for long. But he didn't care. What was the point of having friends? All he needed was allies, and only if they were useful to him. He had locked away any hopes he had of ever being happy a long, long time ago.

The sound of a yawning American yanked the Russian out of his thoughts, and he watched as the man turned over in his chair, ignoring Russia trying to get some more sleep. Russia sighed, knowing that America wasn't going to get up on his own any time soon. What a bother.

America yawned contentedly, snuggling into his chair and facing away from the sunlight, hoping to sleep for just a few more minutes... Or hours... But unfortunately, it seemed that fate had other ideas, because suddenly he felt hands on his ankles and he was yanked out of the chair and landing unceremoniously on his butt.

"What... What the fuck?!" he whined in protest, blinking groggily and glaring up at the large Russian standing above him, eyebrows furrowing as he was still a little confused about what had just happened. "What was that for?"

"It is time for you to wake up," Russia replied with a shrug, "I need to get to the World Meeting, and you are coming with me. We should leave soon if we want to be on time. Unless you do not mind missing breakfast...?"

Russia was slightly surprised when the American shot to his feet, dusting himself off and rushing to the door in a blur, all grogginess suddenly gone. When he turned around and saw Russia staring at him he laughed and flashed him a sparkling white grin. "Come on, Russky! I thought you said we had a meeting to get to!"

Russia blinked. "Da... Let's go, I suppose..." Shrugging on his long black coat, he calmly opened the door for an eccentric America. It was amazing how excited the man got when food was mentioned...

As they walked out of the hotel to search for a decent place to stop at for breakfast Russia found himself staring at the loud American with cold, calculating crimson eyes that showed only a spark of curiosity. Sure, he was quite loud and obnoxious, but there was something about his bright, confident personality, the way his smile stretched across his whole face and made his sapphire eyes sparkle, the way his golden hair shimmered like the sun- Russia stopped himself before he could finish that thought, frowning and shaking his head. Where had that come from? Before he could put any more thought into it, he felt America tugging at his sleeve and looked down to see him pointing at a nice looking café that had caught his attention. Russia shrugged and they entered the café, Russia ordering a coffee and some scones, America ordering just about everything on the menu. Good thing that he had his wallet on him when he was transported to this dimension! But after several minutes of quiet eating they hadn't started a conversation. For Russia it was because he didn't think it was necessary, and America just didn't know what to talk about. But then he was struck with an idea, and he smiled brightly and cleared his throat for Russia's attention.

"So, Russia, I was thinkin', and I decided that you should tell me your human name!" he proclaimed with a triumphant smile, continuing when he noticed the confused expression on Russia's face, "You know, because I was kinda curious about whether or not it's different than regular Russia's!"

Russia nodded; he supposed that that made sense. "Da, whatever… My human name… It is Vladimir."

"Vladimir…" America repeated, shining sky blue eyes thoughtful as he tested the name. "Alright, so I call you Vlad and you can call me Alfred so that no one gets confused, okay?"

"Fine. But hurry and finish eating, Am-… Alfred, we need to get to the meeting." When Alfred started to complain, Vlad help up a hand to silence him, red eyes narrowing slightly. "We could have had more time if you had woken up earlier, but you sleep like a… How does the saying go? Like a stone?"

"Dude, it's "slept like a rock"… But whatever, that's close enough!" Alfred chuckled lightly. Vlad looked somewhat embarrassed at this, but he tried to hide it by shrugging nonchalantly, making Alfred laugh even more. Somehow, this guy didn't seem as bad as his counterpart...

Meanwhile, in a building not too far away from the one Vlad and Alfred were currently in, the World Meeting was about to start. England's eyes swept over the numerous nations occupying the room, and he grinned broadly. Oh, how nice it was to have so many countries gathered together at once! It didn't happen very often since so many of them were so... Er... Antisocial. But it was probably a good thing, since it tended to be quite chaotic. _But what fun would life be without a little bit of chaos?_ He thought to himself with a light chuckle, earning odd looks from the nations on either side of him.

Turning to glance at the clock on the wall above him, he clapped his hands together excitedly when he noticed that it was about time for the meeting to start. Clearing his throat for everyone's attention, he waited until most of them had quieted down before he started talking. "Hello, everyone! I assume that you're all prepared for the second day of our World Meeting, so once everyone is seated we will begin!" he announced, smiling and waiting for everyone to settle down. There were a few countries who ignored him and continued chattering amongst themselves, but fortunately for them they soon stopped when they noticed the sugary-sweet gaze that England sent them, because they could feel that it was laced with venom.

"Now," he continued, "Is there anyone who is not present?"

The reply was almost instantaneous, and it came from none other than the man who loved to mock and degrade the missing country most of all. "It seems that Russia has yet to arrive," America pointed out, a cocky smirk plastered across his face.

"Ah, you're right! That's odd, he's usually quite punctual..." England mused, tapping a finger to his chin thoughtfully, his gargantuan eyebrows raising in slight surprise.

"Maybe he got hit by a bus on the way here?" America suggested, crossing his arms over his chest as he kicked his legs up onto the table, "That would keep him out of our hair for a while. But nah, we're probably not that lucky. My guess is that he's just ditching. I mean, all he ever accomplishes in these things is sitting on his lazy ass while we make all of the important decisions ourselves."

There were a few giggles heard around the meeting room, but they were soon quelled when they started noticing the large figure that had crept up silently behind the sneering American. America, sensing the uneasy mood settling over his companions, turned around to be face to face with an unhappy looking Russia. He jumped, but only slightly. In a manly way, of course.

"Actually, America, that's not true. I don't have anything better to do than attending these useless meetings, unfortunately." Russia retorted, his fiery red eyes staring into America's which returned the look with even more malice. The nations in the meeting room tensed when they sensed the cold aura seeping from the powerful countries, some of them in excitement for what they hoped would be an impending fight. The scuffles had by Russia and America were always excellent. But instead of lashing out at the American, Russia just let out a short 'tsk' before turning around, and the whole room let out a breath in a collective sigh. "And I am _not_ lazy." He added.

There was a long silence before England finally ended it with an awkward laugh. "Well, er, Russia... I hope you don't mind me asking, but why _were_ you late, anyways?"

Russia sighed, not really knowing where to begin. He knew that he had to tell them; it was too late to try to hide it. Anyways, he just wanted the annoying brat out of his hands as soon as possible. But... He had to admit that we was just the slightest bit worried about Alfred's safety. Not because he cared about the boy, mind you, but he just seemed so... Innocent. And naive. He had no idea just how terrifying some of these nations could be, and what they were capable of. This is why Russia hesitated before he started recounting the tale of how he had found an unfamiliar nation passed out in his hotel, and how they had come to the conclusion that he was from an alternate dimension. The nations in the meeting listened quietly, most with expressions of just mild surprise. After all, in this dimension, you get used to strange occurrences such as this one.

By the time Russia had finished, a pensive frown had formed on England's usually smiling face. He hummed thoughtfully before asking the question that was on everyone's mind, "And which nation was it that came from this alternate dimension?"

Before he could answer, the door to the meeting room slammed open, and an annoyed looking America burst in. "Hey commie, I know ya told me to wait outside, but I got bored!" he announced, looking around the meeting room and grinning broadly at the curious looking nations that were staring at him from around the table, always enjoying being in the limelight. "Anyways, hi! I'm the United States of America, but you guys can call me Alfred!"

There was a lingering silence, and America felt his smile faltering just a little. But then the room was full of sound again as just about everyone started talking at once.

"Oh my, another America?"

"He looks cooler than our America!"

"This is so awesome! Is there another me?"

"Damn, I want to meet the other me! Hey new America, what's the other me like?"

Before Alfred could get a word in, the room was silenced once again by two strong fists banging against the table, which somehow didn't break. There was a loud squeak as 2p America's chair scraped across the floor, followed by stomping footsteps and an angry huff. Faster than Alfred could react, he felt a hand grab his collar and lift him a couple inches off of the ground. With a short yelp of protest he looked down at his attacker, and was shocked to see a face that strongly resembled his own. His counterpart had dark reddish brown hair that shone in the dim light of the meeting room, and flawless skin that was several shades darker than his own. His red eyes never left his own, and his mouth was set in an angry scowl. Alfred noticed that he had one tooth missing...

"Listen, you." America hissed. "I don't know who you think you are, but you are _not_ America. I am. I don't care if you're from another dimension, but if you get in my way I'll kick your scrawny ass all the way back there. Understood?"

Alfred's eyes narrowed at this, all good humor from earlier disappearing instantly. "That," he growled, yanking 2p America's hands away from him, "Was completely uncalled for. And _nobody_ talks to me like that. _Especially_ creeps like you."

"Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it?"

Before any punches could be thrown, they were separated by a pair of strong hands as a large grinning nation with messy hair and a scarred face stepped in between them. "Woah, woah!" he laughed, "Come on guys, you just met and you're already fighting? Why don't we just settle this over some beer?"

The Americans continued glaring daggers at each other for several more seconds before one whirled around, snarling "Just don't forget my warning" before striding back to his seat and plopping down with an angry grunt.

Alfred gulped uneasily. Well, his first encounter with his second self certainly hadn't gone as well as he had hoped that it would. He seriously hoped that none of the other countries here would be that bad... And that was when he remembered The burly nation that had broken up their earlier quarrel was still standing next to him.

As if reading his mind, the man looked at him and thrust out his hand in front of the American with a friendly grin. "Yo! I'm Germany! But you seem cool, so you can call me Lutz~"

"Woah, really dude? You're nothing like the Germany from my world!" he exclaimed, suppressing a sigh of relief. This guy didn't seem half bad! _Maybe this dimension isn't as awful as it seems_, he thought to himself as he reached over to shake the Germans' hand.

"Ha! Too slow!" Germany smirked as he pulled his hand away at the last second, laughing loudly at the American. "But seriously, you seem pretty awesome! How long are you going to be staying here?"

Alfred scratched his head at the question, grinning somewhat sheepishly. Well, he hadn't actually thought about that yet… But whatever; he could figure that out later! He wasn't planning on leaving for a while, anyways- He wanted to learn more about this alternate dimension!

"I know, why don't we all introduce ourselves to little Alfred?" England asked, startling America out of his thoughts.

"Da, but make sure to use your human names." Russia added, not bothering to specify why.

"Oh? Alright, that's fine!" England exclaimed, turning back to Alfred happily. "My name is Oliver, and I'm the representative of the United Kingdom!"

America snorted. "Yeah, I had guessed. The eyebrows kinda gave you away…"

As Oliver pouted and reached up to rub his large eyebrows sullenly, the other countries began introducing themselves.

"I'm Canada," one announced gruffly, "But you can call me Michael, I guess… And you better not forget, y'got that?!"

The country next to him took a long drag on his cigarette before muttering "Yeah, the name's Louis and I represent France."

"I'm North Italy. My human name is Luciano."

"Ciao, I'm South Italy!" My human name's Leonardo, but you can call me Lenny!"

"…I'm Spain. My human name's Alejandro."

"Konnichiwa, I'm Japan. But you can call me Hantai, or Han~"

"Hey! I'm Xi'an, and I'm the representative of China!"

As the nations introduced themselves Alfred observed them all curiously, deciding which ones would be worthy sidekicks, or even friends! A lot of them seemed pretty awesome, but a lot of them were really… Well, creepy. He was getting some bad vibes from some of these guys… But that was probably just his imagination, right?

"So, Alfred~" Oliver began cheerily, "I take it that you probably don't know how to get back to your own dimension, yes?" When Alfred nodded, he continued. "Hm... I must say that that is a dilemma. But we can worry about that later! But what are you planning on doing while you're here, poppet?"

"Well... Um, I kind of want to go to my country, but..." he glanced at his counterpart.

Alex snorted. "I don't want him in _my_ country."

"_Our_ country." Alfred replied.

"My dimension."

"Touché."

They blinked at each other for several second before crossing their arms and turning away from each other, Alfred pouting indignantly. Oliver tutted, watching their bickering with a disapproving expression. He had never seen Alex act so immature! He could tell that these two were not going to get along well at all... Oh, well.

"Actually, poppet, I think that Alfred should go with you! I mean, where else would he go?" Oliver pointed out, smirking when he saw Alex's expression fall as he couldn't come up with an answer to that one.

"Argh... Fine. You can come with me," he growled at Alfred who responded by laughing triumphantly. But when he received Alex's piercing glare he realized that that may not be such a good thing...

"Lovely!" Oliver giggled, "I'm glad that that's all worked out! And what perfect timing; it seems that the meeting is just about over!"

Vlad, who had been watching the whole exchange intently, while still maintaining a bored expression, of course, looked up at the clock and realized that the meeting was in fact over. Well, that had gone by quickly. Not that he was complaining. He shrugged, gathering up his belongings as he prepared to leave.

"Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the last day of the meeting, everyone!" Oliver reminded before he started packing up as well.

When Alfred noticed that the Russian was leaving, he was slightly put off that he was doing it without telling him goodbye. "Hey, Vlad!" he shouted. "I'll see ya soon, okay?" The man blinked at him for a second before nodding curtly, feeling just the slightest warmth in his chest as he hastily left the meeting.

Alfred smiled when this dimensions' Romano- Leonardo, wasn't it?- Practically skipped over to him, dragging an annoyed looking Spaniard behind him. "I'm so glad that I got to meet you, Alfred!" he exclaimed. "I can tell that we're going to be really good friends! Right, Spain?" He laughed as Alejandro grunted a half-hearted "si, of course."

Oliver hummed as he watched the loud American; it was quite amazing how quickly he could make friends. The boy was just so happy, so confident... He sighed contentedly, looking over to Louis who was still sitting down next to him and smoking one of those dreadful cigarettes.

"That Alfred is quite the cutie, hm?" he asked, ignoring his companions' teasing snort. He continued observing him like this for another moment before he was struck by the _loveliest_ idea. "Hey, Louis~" he sang, leaning down to whisper something in the nations' ear.

As he listened to the blonde-haired nation, Louis let a small smirk grace his features. "Sure, why not?" He replied once Oliver was done, blowing a large ring of smoke up into the air. This should be interesting...

* * *

**Aaaand, here's the next chapter of Dimension Suspension! :D I'm so sorry that it's so late, but school has been kicking my butt! Midterms are not fun... But we have a long weekend so I finally had some time to finish this chapter! And thank you for all of the favs/follows/reviews, you guys are awesome! Like Prussia awesome!**

**So, I feel that this chapter was kinda boring... But I needed to get a lot of stuff out of the way, so the next chapter should be more exciting? And about the 2p names... Well, they needed to have names that are different than those of their 1ps so that everything would be less confusing. Some of them are names that I've heard used for them before, and some of them I came up with on my own. I hope that they're okay...**

**And I didn't really look over this chapter, so I wouldn't be all that surprised if there were a bunch of mistakes... But this authors note is already enough, so until next time, my lovelies! And please review, it makes me happy~**

**And check this out- I have fanart! ;u; I don't deserve this, seriously! Many thanks to the amazingly talented Fynniona and Hyperkaoru!**

** fynniona . deviantart gallery /#/d5eo3t5 **

** hyperkaoru13 . deviantart gallery /#/d5f6tmo**

**(Remove spaces)**


	4. Don't Eat the Cupcakes!

**WARNINGS: Rape, possible OOC-ness**

* * *

A calm silence enveloped the large, somewhat foreboding house, the warm midday sun beating down on the tile roof. Several birds were perched there, basking in the heat as it warmed their feathers. Unfortunately, this peacefulness would not last long because soon a loud, blood-curdling screech burst from the house, sending the birds scattering away as quickly as they could, followed by what looked like a flying green rabbit. Inside of the house, pacing across his tidy library was a fuming Arthur Kirkland. Blazing green eyes twitched above an angry scowl, monstrous eyebrows lowered in frustration. Bloody books… Bloody spell… Bloody America… This was entirely his fault! Damn it all… If only he had someone to rant to right now… Even having that French frog over would be nice! Or at least his magical friends, but they were all off somewhere, probably having a jolly good time while he worked his arse off. And he couldn't just talk to himself; people would start to think that he was losing his mind! Ugh… Maybe he should just take a break, maybe make some tea…

No! He admonished, mentally slapping himself. He must not get distracted from the task at hand! He had to find the recipe to the potion that had opened that portal… He just had no idea where it could possibly be. Dammit, he had to get that stupid git back here soon, because unfortunately he was an important part of the world's economy. That, and he was beginning to miss the annoying twit, but he would never admit that to anyone. With a sigh, he turned back to his bookshelf, having forgotten which books he had already looked at. _Maybe it would be best to just take a break…_ He thought, turning to walk out of the room dejectedly. Yes, tea sounded just perfect at the moment.

Throughout all of his inner turmoil, England had failed to notice the large figure that was hunkered down in a tree that happened to be right outside of the library's window. Violet eyes gleamed with a silent laugh as Russia observed the antics of the frustrated nation inside. Oh, how amusing it was watching him get so worked up! Once the Brit was gone Ivan began hurriedly shimmying down a thick tree branch, pausing when he reached the small balcony outside of Arthur's library. He let himself drop onto it, standing up and dusting himself off casually like this was a completely normal thing to do. He almost laughed when he noticed how simple the lock to the door on the balcony was, giggling softly when a small jiggle of the handle showed him that the door was already open. Really, this was just too easy! Of course, it made sense that Arthur wouldn't expect someone to break into his house from the balcony, especially while he was still inside… With a shrug, he crept into the empty library, surprisingly light on his feet for someone his size. Now, he needed to do this fast, before Arthur came back… So where did he put that spell? Being as quiet as he could, Ivan began gently lifting up the books and loose pieces of paper that littered the small room, being careful to place them back exactly as he had found them. He grinned to himself when he found the spell book that he was looking for, flipping to the page that was so conveniently bookmarked, and ripping it out slowly. Now that he had what he needed he was free to slip out of the room unnoticed, closing the door behind himself and slipping back down the way he came just as Arthur walked into the room with a steaming cup of tea.

On the flight back to Russia (he was in his private jet, of course) Ivan pulled out the prize from his little trip to England's house, humming to himself as he looked over the faded page. Yes, with this he would be able to find his Alfred…

* * *

To say that the cab ride back to the hotel was awkward would be an understatement. Both Alex and Alfred were completely silent the entire time, and the poor driver could feel the angry aura radiating from them in waves. It was like this all the way back to the hotel that Alex was staying at (most of the nations were staying in the same hotel, so it was the same one Alfred had been at earlier), and no words were exchanged until they reached his room.

"I don't care what you do," Alex growled, "But just... Don't bug me."

"Fine," Alfred replied, "But you'd better stop being such an ass, okay?"

His counterpart looked like he was going to reply but then decided he against it, turning away with a snort. He just walked calmly to the bathroom, muttering "I'm gonna take a shower" before slamming the door shut.

Alfred blinked at the door for a couple of seconds before shrugging, stuffing his hands in his pockets before glancing around the room in hopes of finding something to keep him occupied. Before he could make up his mind, though, he was inturrupted by the angry growling of his stomach. Well, now he knew what he had to do. When he started looking through all of Alex's belongings in hopes of finding snacks, he was disgusted when all he found was a variety of vegan foods. _Seriously? This guy must really be my opposite!_ He whined as his stomach growled again, pouting at the assortment of healthy food that was laid out in front of him. There was no way that he was eating this. Racking his brain for other options, he smiled when he remembered that he'd seen a vending machine in the hallway on the way there. With a triumphant laugh he stood up to begin his epic quest for sustenance. He whistled as he exited the hotel room, walking back the way he had originally come from. But unfortunately he was stopped before he could get very far, because once he turned the corner he ran into and knocked over a smaller man who had been walking in the opposite direction. Said man let out a surprised "eep" as he fell backwards, grunting when he landed.

"Oh, crap!" Alfred exclaimed, "I'm sorry! Um, let me help you... Oliver?" His eyes widened when he recognized the pinkish-blond hair of the second England, who looked pleasantly surprised at seeing the person that had knocked him over.

"That's quite alright, poppet!" he replied, hurriedly standing up as he tried to regain some composure, "But what a coincidence, _running into_ you here!"

Alfred laughed, scratching at the scruff of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess! I was actually just on my way to-" He was cut off by the sound of his stomach emitting a particularly loud rumble. Oh, perfect timing...

Oliver feigned a look of worry at this, placing his hand over his heart in exaggerated surprise. "Oh dear, you must be hungry! Why don't you come over to my room; I was just heating up some cupcakes I had made earlier!"

"Naw, it's okay man, you don't have to... Wait, did you say cupcakes?" Alfred's mouth watered slightly, and Oliver had to force a villainous smirk off of his face. This was just too easy...

"Yep! Now come along, I know that you'll love them~" he cooed, taking Alfred's wrist into his hand, "_Everyone_ loves my baking!"

Alfred let himself be dragged down the halls, thinking about how lucky he was to have met the Brit at such an opportune moment. Now he would get to have real food! Made by England! Wait... England... Cooking... A brief look of worry graced his features, but he shrugged it off when he remembered that the countries in this dimension were basically the opposite of the ones he knew, so his food should actually be really good... Hopefully...

When they reached the room they were greeted by the sweet smell of freshly heated cupcakes as well as the bitter odor of cigarette smoke. Alfred was somewhat surprised when he saw the scruffy looking Frenchman pulling a tray full of the brightly colored sweets out of a small microwave.

"Louis~!" Oliver called, "Guess who I bumped into in the hallway?"

"Hi, Frenchie!" Alfred laughed, "I didn't know that you two were sharing a room!"

Louis only grunted, and Oliver looked away sheepishly, trying to hide his blush.

"W-well, it's cheaper this way, you see, and... Yes..." he stuttered, only making the younger country laugh more. "A-anyways, Alfred my dear, why don't you sit down? Today must have been quite tiring for you!"

The American shrugged, plopping down into a nearby chair obediently. "I guess so. I mean, this whole situation is really weird... But you guys are really cool, for the most part!"

Oliver smiled at this, feeling a twinge of guilt for what he was about to do. But after receiving an impatient glance from Louis he decided to push it aside. His normal grin never once left his face as he pushed the pink and blue frosted cupcake in front of his guest.

"I'm so glad that you think so!" he chirped, "We all think that you're simply splendid, as well!"

"Of course!" Alfred replied, reaching for the colorful dessert and bringing it greedily to his mouth, taking a few hungry bites as he continued speaking through the food that filled his mouth. "I'm the hero! But do ya know who's not 'simply splendid'? My other self! Guy's a total jerk."

Oliver laughed, watching intently as the entire cupcake with a few large gulps. "Oh, he's not /that/ bad! You just have to get to know him!"

"Right... Oh, and guess what else I found out about him! He's _vegan!_ how does he manage to survive without hamburgers?" Alfred yawned, his speech becoming slightly slurred as he continued, "Or... Ice cream! He can't eat that either. Or cake... Or cookies... Or french fries... No, wait, those are made of potatoes. Germany likes potatoes. Ooh, do you know what's awesome? Going to Wendy's and dipping your french fries in your Frosty! You've gotta... Try that..." And with that Alfred's head hit the table, and soon soft snores were emanating from his unconscious form. In the back of his mind he could feel Louis lifting him up and hear him ordering Oliver to "get the rope," but his drugged brain was too tired to process it.

* * *

When he first woke up the first thing he noticed was his splitting headache. The second thing was the pungent stench of cigarette smoke being blown into his face. His watering eyes flew open with a gasp, and soon he was choking on the smoke-filled air. He coughed a few times, wincing at the sound of Louis informing Oliver that "He's awake." It was too loud; everything was too loud... As he blinked away the wetness in his eyes he realized that he wasn't wearing Texas. Looking to both sides anxiously, he sighed in relief when he saw his glasses perched neatly on a bedside table to his right. He reached out to grab them, but was instead met with the feeling of metal biting into his wrists. He hissed, looking up to see that his hands were being held together above his head by a sturdy looking pair of handcuffs. A quick glance to his feet proved that they were also tied together. Well... Crap.

"Where... Where am I?!" he demanded.

Alfred jumped at the sound of a high pitched giggle, whipping his head around to face it's source.

"You're in our hotel room, silly!" Oliver replied, "Or do you not remember?"

"Yeah, but why the hell am I strapped to a bed?!"

"Oh, we put you here after you passed out! We're going to have so much fun with you~"

"How did I..." Alfred paused, trying to recollect what had happened before he went unconscious when his eyes widened with a sudden realization. "Wait a second... Did you... Did you _drug_ me?"

Louis snorted. "Well, yeah. We couldn't do this if you were conscious, could we? And you can't use your freakish strength to escape now, either."

By now Alfred was seriously starting to panic, and when he yanked at his bonds only to find that his movements were in fact weak and sluggish, he finally lost it. The hero started screaming for help.

* * *

A few doors down, a dark haired Russian was just exiting his room when he heard the loud plea. He had decided to skip the last day of the meeting and just return home since this one had been particularly... Bothersome. Too many old memories and emotions that he had long since been buried were resurfacing. But before he could even take a step out the door, the loud, usually annoying voice of the cause of all his problems rang out from the other end of the hall.

"Help!"

Vlad paused, briefly considering walking to the door the voice was coming from to see what was wrong. But he never liked meddling in business that wasn't his own.

"Someone! Help me!"

He frowned. Damn it, what was going on in there? If he remembered correctly, the room Alfred's voice was coming from was the one that that annoying Brit was staying in. Alfred seemed stupid enough to fall for one of his twisted schemes... The boy honestly had no idea what he nations in this dimension were capable of. Maybe he should go help him...?

Before he could decide his attention was caught by the sound of footsteps coming his way, and he was surprised when he saw the America he was familiar with walking calmly to his room without even a falter in his step at the sound of his counterpart's scream.

"Are you not going to see what is wrong?"

Alex shrugged, turning to look at him with a bored expression. "I didn't hear anything."

Vlad raised an eyebrow at this. "He _is_ your counterpart, you know."

The red-eyed nation stopped in his tracks, just about to open the door. His mouth was set in a firm line, and behind his dark sunglasses his confident gaze wavered. For a second it looked like he was going to turn back, but he just gave an annoyed sigh before closing the door and locking himself in his hotel room.

* * *

"There you go, poppet! Now you won't be disturbing any more guests, hm?" Oliver smiled, pinching Alfred's cheek with one hand.

Alfred jerked his face away from the touch, growling at the man through his freshly tied gag. Damn it. No one had come to help him. Not that he needed it! He was a hero! He kept his icy glare as Louis gripped his shirt and began to lift it slowly up his chest, even as his eyes began to water. He blinked the tears away and thrashed his arms and legs in one last futile attempt to escape, but was soon being pushed back down by a small, surprisingly strong pair of hands. _A hero doesn't cry... A hero doesn't cry..._

Suddenly, a loud, insistent knock was heard at the door. For a moment, everything was still. Alfred couldn't believe it. All three nations stared at each other for a second before Alfred lashed out again, yelling as loudly as he could through his gag.

"I'm in here! Help!" Though it sounded more like 'Mm nn hehhhr! Hlmmmmph!'

With this a loud crack came from the other end of the room, followed by the door snapping off of it's hinges. A dark aura surrounded the large figure that stood at the doorway, and Alfred's captors felt their hearts drop when they realized who it was.

"V-Vladimir?" the disbelief was apparent in Louis's voice.

"Ah! How... N-nice for you to drop by so unexpectedly!" Oliver stammered, leaping off of the bed the way a guilty child would from a vase he just broke.

As the Russian took in the sight in front of him, he shook his head in disgust. "I cannot believe you two." he sighed. He began walking to the bed, and the two guilty countries made sure that they were out of his way before he simply tore the bonds off of the stunned American. "Alfred. Get up."

He nodded shakily, rubbing his sore wrists before ripping off his gag with a gasp. He swung his legs off of the bed to stand up only to find that they couldn't support him, and he fell forward onto his reluctant savior. Vlad grunted in surprise, opting to just lift the boy and throw him over his shoulder haphazardly. He carried him off like this without another word, leaving Oliver and Louis in a stunned silence.

Alfred stared at the back of the silent Russian as they walked away from the slightly trashed hotel room, not entirely sure about what had just happened.

"You... You saved me..." he murmured.

"Really, now? I hadn't noticed."

"But... Why?" he continued, ignoring Vlad's sarcasm.

He shrugged. Alfred was about to question him further, but the suddenly he felt quite tired. He was about to close his eyes and let it go, but forced himself to stay awake when Vlad began talking again.

"I... Cannot stand it when people do not fight fair. And drugging you and tying you to a bed is definitely not fair, especially when you had just met them and didn't know what to expect from the countries in this dimension. And what they were planning on doing to you... Was vile in itself. That is all..." he replied, and Alfred could tell that he wasn't comfortable with giving out information on his views so easily.

"Yeah... How was I supposed to know that the guy drugged his freaking cupcakes?!" he asked, raising hs hands in slight exasperation.

Vlad paused, and Alfred could almost feel the unimpressed look on his face. "You ate one of Oliver's cupcakes?"

"Um... Yeah?"

He slapped a hand to his forehead with a disbelieving sigh. "Like I said, you know nothing about this dimension . You probably wouldn't survive a day out in the real world..."

"Yeah I would! I'm stronger than you might think! And I'm the-"

"Which is why I have no choice but to take you back to my country." Vlad cut him off.

Alfred blinked, processing that in surprise. Vlad was taking him to Russia? "Really? But I coulda sworn that you couldn't stand me..." he muttered, "And how do I know that I can trust you?"

"Would you rather go to your country with Alex? Because when I talked to him earlier he seemed perfectly happy with letting Oliver and Louis have their way with you." Really, he was starting to remember why he thought that Alfred was so annoying. He tries to be nice for once, and this is the thanks he gets?

"Wait... What?!" Alfred exclaimed, "Seriously?! I knew that he hated me, but..." he stared at the floor, considering his answer. "Yeah, okay. I'll go to Russia with you..."

Vlad nodded. He wasn't completely sure why he was wasting so much effort on helping this boy, but if he just let him get into another situation like this then all that he'd already done for him would be completely worthless. How did he even get into this mess...?

Alfred smiled, his eyelids beginning to feel heavy. He managed to whisper a quiet "Thanks, Vlad..." before he fell asleep, still slung over the man's shoulder.

All seemed peaceful as Vlad and Alfred left the hotel (though Vlad explaining to the lady at the front desk why he was carrying an unconscious man like a sack of potatoes as he checked out had not been fun), but they weren't aware of the pair of scarlet eyes that watched them from inside of a hotel window, flashing angrily behind red sunglasses.

* * *

**Actually, it's just attempted rape. Haha, I scared you-**

**And, um... It's been over a month. ;A; I'm sorry, I've just been so busy, and a lot of (bad) personal stuff has been going on... That, and I kinda accidentally deleted a bunch of stuff when I was almost done with the chapter, and I had to rewrite it... But you guys kept giving me so much love in the form of faves/follows/reviews even when I was so late. Thank you for your patience. ;u;**

**So... This chapter. For some reason I felt that some stuff was kinda OOC, but these are 2p's, so they're kind of all made of a bunch of headcannons... Yeah... And if you hate any of them after this chapter, I wouldn't blame you... But I will always love them all, so I hope you find it in your hearts to forgive them? But whether or not Alfie ever forgives them is a whole different story...**

**Oh yeah, and Vanya was in this chapter! I love that guy so much~ But he probably won't be back for a while, sorry...**

**And I'm going to stop ranting now because it's midnight, I'm typing this on my iPad and it has 1% battery, and what I'm typing is probably all absolute crack. Long authors note is long... I'll be surprised if anyone actually reads this...**

**So as always, review with any questions or comments or whatever tickles your fancy, because they make me happy. :D 'Till next time~!**


	5. Fashion Catastrophe!

Ho ho ho, merry late Christmas! I have a bunch of totally legit reasons for being late this time, but you don't need to worry your pretty little heads over them!

* * *

"Vlaaaaad?" the sound of hurried footsteps echoed throughout the long hallway as the slightly bleary eyed American stumble it. "Russia? Where are you?" He'd woken up only a few minutes ago, feeling a little refreshed and very confused as to where he was. After blinking up at the dark ceiling and glancing at the large plush bed that he was occupying, he slowly began to remember the events of the previous day. He'd gone to the World Meeting and met this dimension's countries, then he'd gone to Oliver's hotel room and... He shuddered. The last thing he remembered was being carried off by Vlad... Well, that's embarrassing. Alfred paused, taking in the sight of what had to be the Russian's house. After leaving the guest bedroom, he'd entered a large, drab hallway that was lined with several potted plants and painted a light gray. On the wall were several pictures that seemed to be, upon closer inspection, photographs of Vladimir standing next to his past bosses. He backtracked a bit, stopping to look at one of these pictures before he was quickly lost in his own thoughts.

"You called?"

Alfred jumped nearly a foot in the air, leaping into one of those awesome self defense poses that China had taught him as he whirled around to face his attacker. Vlad raised an eyebrow at this, and Alfred sighed in relief when he realized who it was. He crossed his arms with a huff, embarrassed at being caught off guard.

"Jeez, don't sneak up on people like that!" he admonished, pouting indignantly at the Russian, "You could scare someone! Good thing that I'm the fearless hero and no commie villain can scare me!"

Vlad snorted, the American not fooling him for a second. "Indeed. Now, what was it exactly that you wanted?"

"Um..." America scratched his head as he tried to remember why he was calling the other in the first place, "It's coming to me... Oh yeah! Where's your bathroom, Russky? I kinda wanted to take a shower or somethin'..."

Vlad ran a hand through his hair in frustration. That was all? "Da... If you go that way it's the third door on your left," he replied, pointing lazily to a hallway behind himself.

With a nod and a quick thanks Alfred scurried over to the bathroom, disappearing inside of it and leaving Vlad alone to his thoughts. The man stared at the door for a moment, sighing when the sound of running water permeated the air. He found him self wondering yet again how he had gotten himself into this situation. He didn't have to help Alfred, heck, he had barely met the man... But for some reason he felt the need to protect him, to keep that bright, happy spark that he felt within him safe from the horrors that his world harbored. Honestly, it would be easier if he could just find a way to send him back to his own dimension... Unfortunately, he had no idea how he would manage to do that.

Vlad halted, realizing that he had been walking aimlessly through his home as he was pondering his situation, and a quick glance at his surroundings showed that he had ended up in front of the guest bedroom that he had allowed Alfred to stay in. He walked inside and looked at the unmade bed that the man had slept in the night before, remembering how he had carried him there and laid him gently onto it. He'd be lying if he said that he hadn't watched Alfred sleep, if only for a minute. He looked so calm and peaceful, his gentle snores a relief from his usually raucous voice.

_"Hey, were ya watching me sleep again, Vlad?" the man asked, smiling softly at him from the other side of the bed._

He shook his head, clearing it of the seemingly harmless memory that his thoughts had uncovered. He didn't need to remember that... He reached down with a tired huff, opting to make Alfred's untidy bed since he really had nothing better to do. But... What was that? He pulled curiously at a piece of fabric that was peeking out from under the covers, revealing the brown jacket that had been hidden underneath. Wasn't this Alfred's bomber jacket? It was almost identical to the one that Alex was almost constantly wearing... He wondered if it had any sentimental value, since he had never bothered to ask his dimension's America about it... If it was anything like his scarf was to him, he probably wasn't pleased about it being ripped. He ran a cautious hand over the fabric, tracing over the 50 on the back with one large finger as he decided what he would do.

Alfred hummed as he slipped out off of the bathroom, feeling refreshed and completely awake. He was about to call out for Russia again, but stopped himself when he heard a curse from down the hall. He frowned, wondering what Vlad was doing as he walked toward the sound of his voice, turning left to find himself in a large living room. Vlad was sitting in a small chair with his back turned to the American, so Alfred couldn't tell what he was doing. He smirked, tiptoeing up behind him until he could rest his arms on his chair.

"Whatcha doin'?" he asked, revelling in the sight of Vlad jumping slightly in surprise. He glanced over the man's shoulder, surprised to see him holding his bomber jacket along with a needle and some thread. Was he fixing his jacket? That was... Actually really sweet...

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he growled, annoyed at being surprised, "And wasn't it you that said it is rude to sneak up on people?"

Alfred shrugged. "Maybe. But why are you fixing my bomber jacket? You didn't have to do that, you know..."

"Can't you just be grateful and not say things like that? Besides, I... I had nothing better to do. That's all," he muttered, not really sure himself what had compelled him to perform such a kind act, "And... It's not like I did a very great job. Sewing was always more of my big sister's thing." Well... When she was sober enough to hold a needle, that is.

"No, no! It looks great, really!" Alfred laughed, lifting the patched up garment to inspect the messy needlework more closely, "Much better than what I could do!"

Vlad looked at him, trying to decide whether or not he was being serious. "...Whatever," he replied, just wanting to get off of the subject, "Anyways, I decided that we should probably go shopping at one point today, since you didn't bring any clothes other than the ones that you're wearing now into this dimension. But if I remember correctly you did bring your wallet, da?"

"Sounds good! And yeah, I brought my wallet..." Alfred trailed off as a thought suddenly occurred to him, "But I'm running out of cash, and I don't think that my credit cards will work in this dimension..."

"So I will have to pay for you. Great," Vlad replied with a snort, "I'm starting to think that you're more trouble than you are worth..."

Alfred pouted. "Hey, you should be honored to be able to be in my amazing heroic presence for so long! Besides, I don't need you to babysit me; I could get along just fine on my own... Maybe."

"Of course, because you handled yourself just fine last time," Vlad held up a hand to silence him before Alfred could turn this into a full blown argument, "But I think that we should go now, da?"

With a small nod from Alfred as he shrugged on his bomber jacket, they finally set off. Vlad had chosen a nearby Russian shopping center for them to go to, but since his house was kind of secluded "nearby" was still fairly far. It took them nearly an hour to finally reach their destination. And, of course, Alfred spent the entire trip talking the other's ear off, much to his frustration.

"Do you ever stop talking?"

Alfred sent Vlad a glare, his lower lip jutting out slightly. "As a matter of fact I do," he replied, turning away from the man to hide his hurt expression, "If I annoy you so much why are you even keeping me around?"

Vlad was about to make some sarcastic remark, but he once again was forced to ask himself the same question. "Because," he growled, "I'm the only one that would..."

They both continued through the rest of the car ride in silence, Vlad because he had nothing left to say, and Alfred because he was mulling over what Vlad had said. Was it... Really true?

"We're here," Vlad informed him, standing up to exit the car and locking the doors as he was followed by a still silent Alfred.

As the pair walked into the slightly crowded building Alfred took the time to look over Vlad's outfit. His clothes were a bit more casual than the ones he'd worn to the meeting, but still too formal for a Saturday spent shopping at a mall, at least in his opinion. And they were all black, like his previous outfit.

"Sheesh, Vlad, would it kill you to let some variety into your wardrobe?" he teased, smirking at the other playfully.

Vladimir frowned, tugging lightly at his scarf self conciously. "I happen to think that my choice of clothing is perfectly acceptable, thank you very much."

Alfred snorted. "Uh huh. Honestly, do you even own a pair of jeans?"

"W-well, I... No..."

"That's it. We're going to buy you some new clothes too, bro. You can't dress like you're going to a funeral every day!" Well, that was a slight exaggeration, but still! "Come on, let's go!"

With this he latched onto the older country's hand, pulling him into the depths of mall like an excited child leading a parent through a toy store. Vlad just followed after him reluctantly, too flustered to really do much about it. Once Alfred found a store that he decided would suit their needs, he dragged the Russian into it before he began searching for something that he thought would suit the man. When he found some things he liked he tossed them to Vlad and shoved him into a changing room, ordering him to try them on before looking for some clothes for himself. When he heard the sound of the door of Vlad's changing room being unlocked he hurried over to see how he looked.

Vlad was wearing a gray button-down vest over a light undershirt, and layered on top of it was a casual black sweater, left completely unbuttoned. Complete with a nice pair of gray jeans, the outfit managed to balance out nicely with the reddish scarf that Alfred knew Vlad would never take off. Alfred smiled. It seemed like the time he had spent shopping with Poland had paid off! He'd honestly learned a lot about fashion from that guy... And female fashion, but when would he need to know about that? It's not like he crossdressed... Often...

"Ha! It looks great; definitely a keeper!" he assured the Russian when he noticed his expectant gaze, "I told you that I know what I'm doing."

Vlad merely shrugged, earning a jovial roll of the eyes from Alfred. He grunted in surprise when another set of clothes was tossed at him, reluctantly shuffling back into the changing room. When he came out again he was dressed in a red and black plaid sweater and black pants. He looked down at the clothes with a look of mild contempt, crossing his arms as he looked back at Alfred, who winced.

"Yeah, nope. I guess that plaid's not your thing..." he murmured, "But hey, now you know!"

After sending him away with yet another outfit, Vlad returned clad in only a black wifebeater and a simple pair of blue jeans.

"...When do you expect me to wear this?"

Alfred didn't respond for a second, too busy staring at the recently exposed muscle of Vlad's arms. Damn... That guy looked like he could chuck a tank across a football field. "U-uh, what? Oh, um, well... Y'know, like, around the house and stuff? Or when you're working out..." he stuttered, "I'm assuming you work out..."

"Occasionally, da..." Vlad replied, not noticing the way Alfred was blatantly staring at him, "But I'm not sure..."

"But it looks good!" he protested, "Pleaaase?"

Vlad gave him an odd look, but decided that it would be best not to argue with him, much to Alfred's relief. They spent the next couple of hours roaming around the mall, both of them trying on new clothes along with some shoes, buying everything that they (Alfred) thought looked good. After a while they headed to the food court, and (of course) Alfred was quick to find the most unhealthy fast food available. But what _was_ a surprise was when he made his entire order in fluent Russian.

When they managed to find an empty table to sit down and eat at, there was still one question that was on Vlad's mind. "Alfred... Where did you learn that?"

Alfred looked up from his mouth full of hamburger and soda, "Oh, y'know! Thrugh practiff! It's all abuht breathin thrugh yur nuhse, and relaxin yur gag reflex! It's hulped me tuh win a bunch ff conteths!"

After Vlad managed to process that, he brought a hand to his head in a facepalm. "No... I meant to ask where you learned Russian..." he groaned, "And please... Do not speak with your mouth full..."

Alfred swallowed audibly, expression turning the slightest bit somber. "Oh, that... Well, during the Cold War, I guess..."

Vlad stiffened slightly. Oh... Well, it made sense. But as far as he knew, Alex had never bothered to learn Russian during the Cold War. Then again, he was probably too busy thinking of the most awful propaganda to use against his country, or the most brutal ways to torture Vlad himself. It was amazing how war could tear people apart... Believe it or not, he and America used to get along quite well. But even though their countries were on better terms since then, they had yet to patch things up since the Cold War.

"Hey, Vlad? You okay?" Alfred asked, worry apparent in his voice.

"Da, fine. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno, you just seem kinda... Spacey..."

"I am just tired. Spending a day with a brat like you will do that." he replied, ignoring how Alfred stuck his tongue out at him childishly. "So once you are done eating, we may leave."

As they were driving back to Vlad's large house several minutes later, Alfred realized that he was beginning to enjoy being in his company more and more, despite how cold he appeared to be. He had a feeling that once he cracked his icy outer shell the man was really a good person. And he had complete confidence that he could do it, too! All he needed was some patience and a little bit of his heroic charm! It worked with everyone! But what Alfred didn't know was how hard Vlad had worked to create these icy walls, or how desperately he wanted them to be kept up...

* * *

Jeez, America, don't talk with food in your mouth! I have no idea how to write out people talking with their mouths full! XD

Just fyi, I know less than nothing about fashion... I'm worse than Vlad irl, just give me some jeans and a black t-shirt and I'm good. Poland would ot be impressed...

And just know that I wrote most of this past midnight last night, so it's probably completely crack.

(btw, did you see what I did towards the beginning there...? You kol'd...? XD yeaaahhh, imnotgoodatbeingfunny.)

In other news, I passed the 69 review mark! XD Woo, you guys are awesome! Thanks so much, and don't forget to leave a review for this chapter, too! I'd love to hear what you liked, or what you think I could improve...

And that's all! (sorry it's so short, btw...)

-llama-chan out-


	6. Around the World

**5,213 words minus the AN, gaiz. *derp face***

* * *

Alfred sighed from his spot at the kitchen table, prodding at his weird Russian breakfast with his fork unenthusiastically. He peeked at Vlad out of the corner of his eye, but he hadn't looked up from the newspaper that he'd been reading throughout the meal. Alfred leaned back in his chair with another exaggerated sigh, and this time the Russian nation reluctantly gave him his attention.

"What?" he asked bluntly, annoyed when he noticed that his guest still hadn't tried his food.

"I'm boooored!" Alfred groaned, earning a snort and roll of the eyes from his companion.

"Go watch television or something then," Vlad replied offhandedly, not really caring what the other did as long as he didn't annoy him while he was working or break anything valuable.

"But I did that almost all day yesterday," Alfred complained, "And no matter _what_ you say, I am _not_ reading any Russian poetry books!"

"Then what do you want to do, малютка?"

Alfred grinned, bright blue eyes flashing like he'd just had an exceptionally brilliant idea, "I kinda wanted to visit some other nations! I mean, I'm really curious about what they're like, y'know?"

Vlad set down his newspaper to look at Alfred, an extra serious expression on his face. "...Which nations were you hoping to visit?"

"Well, um..." Alfred racked his mind as he tried to remember which of this dimension's countries had seemed the most pleasant out of the ones that he'd met so far. "How about... Germany?"

Vlad thought about it for a moment. While Germany wasn't one of his favorite people, he was glad that at least Alfred din't want them to go to some horribly violent or annoying country...

"Alright," Vlad replied, "Fortunately I finished all of the work that I need to do for a while, and I have no upcoming meetings... I suppose I should make a call to Lutz to see if he wants to meet us there." He nodded, standing up to bring his empty dishes to be washed.

"Awesome!" Alfred exclaimed as he leapt up excitedly, "I guess I should get some stuff together before we-"

"Wait." He froze, looking up at the Russian in confusion. "First, eat your blini. You did not even try it..."

Alfred frowned at the pancake-like food, looking back at Vlad with a childish pout. "Can't we just stop at McDonald's or something later?"

"Nyet." with this Vlad turned around as he began punching in numbers in his cellphone, not leaving any room for argument.

Alfred huffed. "Fine, I'll try it..." he glared down at the food like it was it's fault that Vlad was so stubborn. Lifting his fork up to his mouth along with the suspicious looking food, he hesitantly took a bite. ...It was actually pretty good. Damn. "See? It told you it would be gross."

Vlad shook his head, raising a finger to his lips sternly to shut Alfred up as he waited for the German nation to pick up. Honestly, that man had a terrible sense of taste... It must have been dulled from eating that horrible fast food of his for so many years.

"Hallo?" a voice emanated from the cell phone as someone finally picked up, "Who is this?"

"It is Russia," Vlad answered simply, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh, hi Vlad! It's not very often that you call me, ja? What did you want to ask?"

"Well, Alfred wanted to know if we could visit you and your country today, if you are not otherwise occupied," Vlad supplied, voice monotonous. He didn't miss Alfred stuffing his face with blini out of the corner of his eye, slathering some sour cream that had been provided for him onto it before taking another bite. He felt a smile threatening to spread across his face, but managed to hold it in as he went back to listening to the German.

"Oh? Well sure, that'd be great!" Lutz exclaimed, "I didn't really have anything planned today, anyways!"

"Alright. We will be leaving to the airport soon, then."

"Okay! Well, see you soon!"

"Da... Goodbye," Vlad muttered.

"Tschüs!" there was a click heard as Lutz hung up, and Vlad stuffed his own phone into a pocket.

He turned back to Alfred who was waiting expectantly to hear what Lutz had said. "Go get whatever you want to bring, Alfred. We will need to leave soon to reach Germany at a reasonable hour."

Alfred grinned in triumph, glad to be able to explore some other areas of this strange dimension. He leapt up to grab a couple of essentials for their little trip, but stopped in his tracks as a thought occurred to him. Turning back towards the large Russian, Alfred closed the distance between them in a few long strides before wrapping his arms around him in a warm hug.

"Thanks for going out of your way like this, man... You've really done a lot for me since I've gotten here..." he continued sheepishly, "And I just wanted to let you know that I'm grateful and stuff, 'cuz I'm not always an inconsiderate asshole... Yeah." With that he released the stunned man from the bear hug before scurrying off into the depths of the house. Vlad, who had been caught completely off guard by the sudden contact, just stared after him for a second in confused silence. Once he'd snapped out of it he simply began looking for a few things to bring to Germany, deciding to not put too much thought into the American's surprising actions. After all, he never really knew what to expect from that boy. _He is always full of surprises_, he thought to himself as he slipped his pipe into his long jacket, just in case...

* * *

"Hey, guys! Over here!" the blonde-haired German waved at the pair of foreigners that had just arrived at the crowded German airport. "Willkommen in Deutschland!"

America was beaming as he hurried over to greet the other nation, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as they shared a friendly bro hug. Vlad was watching them from a short distance away in slight amusement and bewilderment. Wasn't this only their second meeting? He knew that it was, yet to an outsider that was watching the way talked and laughed with each other so easily it would seem like they'd known each other their whole lives. Then again, Alfred had been like that when they first met, as well... Was it normal? He wasn't quite sure...

"Vlad! Aren't you coming?" The Russian nation nodded, following after the other two countries reluctantly. Once they managed to escape the noisy building, Lutz turned to his companions with a grin.

"Alright, ladies! Are you ready to have the best tour of Germany you've ever had?" Alfred nodded eagerly at this, while Vlad only shrugged nonchalantly. "Okay! Follow me, then!"

The German then led the others to the nearest bus stop, chattering with his American friend nonstop the entire time as Vlad just listened awkwardly. Throughout the bus ride as Lutz and Alfred compared this country to the one in Alfred's dimension, as well as other countries throughout the world, Vladimir tried numerous times to think of a way to join in on their conversation. Unfortunately, every time he opened his mouth to speak he hesitated and quickly lost confidence. So the man decided to simply turn away from the others and stare out of the window dejectedly, keeping his regular neutral expression on his face. No one really wanted to talk to him anyways, at least in his mind.

Though that was actually far from being the case. Being the hero that he was, Alfred instantly took pity on the seemingly gloomy Russian that was leaning against the side of the bus. "Hey, Vlad?" he waited for said man to face him before he continued, "Y'know, I've been living in your country for a couple of days, but I don't know that much about it... So, what's the government like? And the people?"

Vlad thought about the question for a moment as he formed a response. "Ah, well..."

"Heh, what do you know? We've reached our first stop!" the exclamation from their light-blonde haired companion halted Vlad in mid sentence, earning Lutz a cold glare which fortunately went unnoticed. As soon as the vehicle came to a halt the two blonde nations were dashing outside, racing each other to the street playfully.

Vlad stood up to follow them, but was cut off by the stream of civilians that was exiting the crowded bus. This is why he hated public transportation... He huffed when he finally made it into the busy street, relieved to see that Lutz and Alfred had actually waited for him.

Alfred grinned, looking around the traditional German road with an expression of slight awe. Everything seemed so much _bigger_, the buildings were painted in bright colors, and everything seemed generally more extravagant than the Germany he was used to. Not to mention that the sky was a lovely bright blue; perfect weather for a little outing such as theirs.

Lutz smiled at the sunshine-blonde's happy expression; he was very proud of his country and he was pleased that Alfred seemed like it, at least so far. "Hey, do you see that building over there?" he asked before he began to lead the others down the sun-baked road.

They continued on like this for several hours, Lutz and Alfred chatting together as Vlad trailed behind them, only speaking when one of the others remembered he was there. Whenever they saw something of interest they would stop to look at it as Lutz told them a little about it. Vlad was a little surprised at how Alfred would listen to all that the German nation told them without getting bored or losing interest; he seemed to be taking everything in eagerly.

Alfred couldn't exactly explain his fascination in learning about Lutz' country- it wasn't the country itself; this Germany wasn't necessarily better than his... It actually wasn't all that much different, especially compared to the first and second England... But the fact that he was in another dimension, a different version of his world finally seemed to be sinking in. He wanted to know everything about this world, and then he could tell everyone about it- Alfred felt his chipper mood dampen for a second as he also realized that being there meant that he couldn't communicate with his friends or family. He couldn't even represent his country! Well, he had to admit that not having any meetings or paperwork to worry about was nice, but even he knew that those were important responsibilities. A bit of guilt began to gnaw at his stomach, but he quickly pushed it aside. He could worry about getting back later. Right now he had an alternate dimension to explore!

Lutz looked down at his watch with a grunt. They'd been walking for a while now, maybe it would be best to take a break... He nodded to himself, turning to look at his companions.

"So, do you guys want to take a break or something?" he continued after receiving nods from both men, "Cool. There's an ice cream place right down the street, do you wanna go there?"

"That sounds awesome!" Alfred exclaimed as he looked to Vlad for confirmation, the Russian only shrugging.

After entering the small store, Lutz (who had insisted to pay for everything) placed all of their orders- German chocolate for himself, a plain vanilla cone for Vlad, and a popsicle for Alfred. After their desserts were handed to them they headed back outside to sit at a small table outside of the store.

"So, how are enjoying your visit so far?"

Alfred smiled. "It's been great, Lutz!"

"Da... It's been lovely..." Vlad replied with a hint of sarcasm that went unnoticed.

Lutz smirked at this, pleased with the responses. He took a large bite out of his ice cream, watching out of the corner of his eye as Vladimir lapped at his own half-heartedly. After a minute he looked across the table at Alfred, eyes widening slightly at what he saw. Vlad was quick to notice his expression, glancing curiously to the other end of the table. Soon he had an identical look on his face.

Alfred was looking down at his popsicle with half-lidded eyes, spinning it around in his mouth slowly as he sucked on it before he pulled his mouth away with a wet pop, a string of blue saliva connecting it to the cold dessert. He swirled his tongue around it a couple of times before slipping it into his mouth again, smiling at the sweet flavor coating his tongue before finally looking up to see the stares he was receiving from his friends. He blinked, confused as to why they were looking at him like that.

"What?"

Vlad and Lutz shared a disbelieving look, both of them shocked at the other's cluelessness. "O-oh, it's nothing... Ja..." Lutz assured him, Vlad nodded, coughing into his hand awkwardly.

Alfred stared at them for a moment before he went back to eating his popsicle with a shrug. Lutz and Vlad tried to ignore his unknowingly seductive behavior, facing away from him as they hurriedly finished their own ice cream.

With a content hum, Alfred licked he last of the juice from his popsicle stick. He looked up at the two embarrassed countries in front of him, an oblivious grin spread across his face.

"So, what are we going to do next?" he asked, and Lutz managed to regain his usual smug expression as he pushed that bit of awkwardness out of his mind.

"Well, I had one last thing in mind~" Lutz replied casually, "I'm sure you'll like it- It's one of my favorite monuments in my country!"

Vlad tuned the rest of their conversation out, trying to decide what Lutz could be talking about. It had to be a fairly well known place, and considering their location... There was only one place they could be going to. He opted to not ask for confirmation, though, deciding that Lutz would probably want to surprise the other.

So they hurried to a bus stop for the second time that day, though this one was a little shorter. But, of course, it seemed to drag on and on for Vlad as he sulked in a corner while Lutz and Alfred chatted and laughed. While he found Lutz' laugh dreadfully annoying, he had to admit that Alfred's was somewhat cute... He mentally slapped himself, telling himself that this was ridiculous; Alfred was anything but cute, of course!

Alfred was quite excited by the end of the bus ride, his blonde friend having refused to reveal the location of their final destination. Of course, he'd been to most important places in Germany, but he was quite enjoying being able to compare and contrast this one and the original. So by the time they reached their stop, he was almost bouncing in his seat.

Once they were back on the streets, Alfred was scanning them for signs of where they were- he'd never been very good with geography, outside of that of his own country, of course.

"So, which way are we headin'?" he asked, turning to look at Lutz curiously.

Said man gave a hearty laugh at this, crossing his arms knowingly as he replied "Why don't you look up, kid?"

The American tilted his head to the side questioningly before he did as the other had said, slowly raising his head above the smaller buildings lining the streets, eyes widening as he made out the towering shape that he somehow hadn't previously noticed. He recognized it, of course, but... The last time he'd seen it, it hadn't looked like _this_...

"So, what do you think?" Lutz' question snapped Alfred out of his slight daze.

"It's... Woah... Is it...?"

"Hm? It's the Cologne Cathedral. Does it exist in your weird alternate dimension thing, too?"

Alfred nodded. Yes, it's design and structure was basically the same, but it seemed... Bigger. The twin spires that jutted out of the gothic building were accompanied by two smaller ones on either side, and the building itself just seemed larger. He also didn't remember it being _yellow_. He was suddenly reminded of London and the pink Big Ben, and he began to wonder what other national monuments were so drastically different...

Vlad, whose suspicions on where they were going had been confirmed, walked up to stand beside the gaping blonde. He took in the awestruck expression on his face with a thoughtful hum, wondering if looking at any of the more famous sights in his country could earn this expression from him. And all throughout the rest of the tour of the cathedral, which he paid little attention to, this thought was nagging at him. It was late in the afternoon when their tour was finally finished, and all he really wanted to do was go home and sleep... But of course, that wouldn't be happening.

"And that's it," Lutz informed them, "There were a bunch of other places we could go to, if we had more time- I mean, the amazingness of my country is limitless! But I think that I did fairly well for the time I had, ja?"

"Yeah!" Alfred agreed, "It was really awesome getting to see some of your country! If there's one thing that I love, it's exploring new places..." Alfred smiled to himself, remembering all of the "exploring" that he used to do when he was younger.

"I'm glad~" Lutz ruffled Alfred's hair teasingly as he spared another glance at his watch, "Though... It's actually not that late yet; why don't you two come over to my place for a beer?"

"Sure, that sounds great!" Alfred turned to his companion for confirmation, "What do you think, Vlad?"

"Fine by me..." he grunted, wishing that they could just leave instead.

And that's how they found themselves at Lutz' house in Hesse, not an hour later.

"Make yourselves at home!" the German nation ordered, taking off his jacket and tossing it on a chair near the door.

"Alright!" Alfred exclaimed, following the other's example as he flung his own jacket on a couch slightly farther into the house.

"Hey!" a small sound of protest came from said couch, and Alfred blinked in surprise as a small hooded figure gingerly set his jacket to the side as he glared up at him from the book that he'd been reading. Who...?

"Oh, bruder! I didn't see you there!" Lutz laughed, ignoring the other's muttered "of course you didn't."

"Brother?" Alfred interrupted them, taking in the pale man with wide eyes. He had scruffy platinum blonde hair that was only a shade away from being white, extending into a long ponytail that was mostly covered by a white hood. His deep blue eyes were surrounded by dark black circles, and his face was covered by a long scar. "So are you... Prussia?"

The ex-nation laughed; a humorless, empty sound. "Yeah. That's me. Let me guess, you're Alfred, right? Lutz told me about you." he glanced at his brother, raising a pale eyebrow, "Y'know, you could've told me that we were having company, West. I would've cleaned up a little."

"Aw, I'm sorry bruder! They kinda came on short notice, I'm sorry that I left you here all alone without telling you I'd be gone all day!" with this he lifted his brother from the couch and enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug.

Prussia yelped, blushing as he tried to escape his brother's hold. " Ja, ja, it's fine! I can take care of myself, jeez!"

Once he was released, Prussia pushed away from his brother in embarrassment as he tried to regain some composure. Now that he was standing up, Alfred could notice another surprising feature of the second Prussia. Instead of a right arm the man had a detailed metal substitute, the structure of the wrist and fingers looking incredibly complicated. Prussia looked up at the visitors, finally noticing Vlad standing behind the silent blonde, who was trying to force himself not to stare at the ex-nation's arm.

"Ah, hello Vladimir. I haven't seen you in a while..." the Prussian's words were kind enough, but even Alfred could detect the underlying hint of malice. "How have you been?"

"Yes, it's been far too long. And I've been..." Vlad's tone was slightly sarcastic, and he glanced at Alfred before he continued, "...Fine."

"That's good," the other replied, turning to look at the younger nation. "Oh, and I guess I haven't formally introduced myself to you. I'm the former Kingdom of Prussia, currently serving as the representative of eastern Germany... But you can call me Jens."

Alfred smiled meekly as he held out a hand to the other, offering a polite handshake. When Jens took his hand into his own, Alfred noticed that while his grip was quite firm, his hand was somewhat frail.

"So, why don't you guys sit down? Oh, and maybe I can make you some of my famous wurst!" Lutz proposed, earning a grunt of agreement from his brother.

"Do you want me to help you, West?"

"Nah, I don't need help!" Lutz paused, blinking a couple times as if a thought had suddenly occured to him, "Er, actually, why don't you come help me, Alfred? East, you stay here and entertain our other guest!"

Before any argument could be made, Lutz grabbed Alfred's wrist and dragged him into the kitchen, leaving a stuttering Jens and a glowering Vlad alone. Once the door slammed behind them, the taller blonde crossed his arms and faced Alfred, a mischievous look in his purple eyes.

"So. Spill it. You and Mr. Tall Dark and Boring. What's going on there?"

"Huh? What do you..." Alfred flushed as he realized what Lutz was implying, his ears turning bright red. "Me and Vlad?! N-nothing! We're just..." he gulped, "We're just friends."

"Oh?" Lutz asked, snickering at the boy's reaction, "You could've fooled me."

"Yeah... Does it... Uh, does it really seem like, y'know..." Alfred chuckled, rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Well, I guess so... I mean, a lot of us thought that you guys were together... But I guess we were wrong, ja?" Lutz smiled at the other before giving him an amiable pat on the back. "So, why don't we start making that wurst?"

"Sure!" Alfred sighed, glad to move from that subject. It was ridiculous; he and Vlad would never get together! He didn't think about him in that way... Right? He paused in his gathering of spices for his friend's wurst, a sudden realization finally dawning on him. He didn't like Vlad... Did he? Well, he considered him a good friend, and he'd done a bunch of nice things for him... He made him laugh, he had an interesting personality, and Alfred had to admit that he was pretty hot, but...

"Alfred?"

He yanked his head up at the sound of Lutz' voice, instantly being snapped out of his daze.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay, kid? You seem kinda out of it..." Lutz answered, looking at the other curiously.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine..." Alfred replied, and Lutz just stared at him for a second before shrugging and turning away. "But... Lutz?"

"What?"

"Uh, well... Earlier when you said a lot of people thought that Vlad and I were together... How many is a lot, exactly?"

* * *

"Hey, is anybody hungry?" Lutz called as he entered the quiet living room, "'Cuz I know I am!"

Vlad and Jens, who hadn't spoken a word to each other since they'd been left alone together, looked up at the sound of Lutz' voice. The man was holding two large plates full of different sausages and potatoes, and following close behind him was Alfred with the other two. After handing the plates out, the two blonde nations sat down across from each other before they began to eat their own food. The meal started out quite awkward; Vlad and Jens were trying to sit as far away from each other as possible, Alfred was refusing to make eye contact with Vlad, and Lutz was cheerfully oblivious to all of it. He tried to start a conversation a couple of times, but his responses never exceeded an unenthusiastic grunt or word of agreement.

All of a sudden a loud beeping noise pierced the dreary silence, and all eyes were on Vlad as he quickly took his cell phone out of his pocket. He was slightly surprised when a glance to the caller ID showed that it was his boss, and he decided that it would be best if he picked it up. With a quick "excuse me," he rose from his spot on the couch and hurried down a hallway where he could speak out of the hearing range of the others.

Lutz frowned at the spot where the Russian had been before he stood up himself, assuring the others that he'd be right back before he walked off in the direction of the kitchen. That left only Jens and Alfred, who just sat there and smiled awkwardly at each other. And then a loud, annoyed groan was heard from the kitchen, followed by Lutz trudging back into the room with a childish pout on his face.

"Bruder..." he whined, "We're out of beer..."

Jens snorted. "Do we really need-"

"Yes."

The elder brother sighed, slapping a hand to his forehead in frustration. "Then go to the store and buy some, West."

"Alright!" he agreed, pulling on his jacket and striding over to the front door, "I'll be back soon, 'kay? Sorry, Alfred!" And with that he was gone, leaving the others alone again.

Jens shook his head at the antics of his younger brother, giving Alfred an apologetic look. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay!" the blonde assured him, laughing lightly at the other, "Y'know, it's kinda hard to believe that you two are related... You're so different!" Alfred smiled as he remembered all times he'd spent with his own Germany and Prussia and how he'd thought the same thing about them on more than a few occasions.

"That we are..." Jens murmured wistfully, his gaze fixed on the spot where his brother had been before he left, "But it's a good thing, I suppose. I don't know what he'd do if he didn't have someone at least a little responsible to help him out... And I don't know what I would do if I didn't have someone as strong as he is to be there for me. He's helped me through... A lot..."

Alfred nodded in understanding at this. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Me and my bro, er... Matthew, we're kinda like that."

"Oh? I see..." Jens replied, adding a soft smile, "Ah... So, Alfred... I was wondering, how have you been doing in this dimension so far?"

"Um... Fine, I guess. I mean, I've made a couple of friends here and stuff, and Vlad's been really cool throughout the whole thing..." he winced, remembering one of his... Less pleasant experiences in this world. "Which is more than I can say about some people here..."

"Really? Did something happen?"

"Well, you can say that... There was a little... Incedent with Oliver and Louis earlier, but now I know to stay away from them, at least."

Jens nodded in understanding. "Yes, Oliver is known for being quite... Mischievous. But sometimes he goes a little too far with his schemes..." he paused, giving Alfred a sympathetic look. "I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive them, though? They're really not bad people..."

Alfred only shrugged, muttering a quiet "I dunno."

"Well... It's up to you. But while we're on the subject, is there anyone else that's been giving you any trouble?" Jens asked, "Because I may be able to give you some advice..."

Alfred though about that for a second. Well, he didn't really know many of this world's countries yet, but most of them didn't seem that bad. Oh, except for him... "Actually, yeah... There was one guy- my own counterpart."

"Oh. Well, that makes sense, actually... I mean, from what I've heard the people from your dimension are basically the opposite of the people here, right?" Alfred made a small noise of confirmation, "And Alex can be pretty dangerous if you get on his bad side... Did you do anything to piss him off?"

"No! He's just being a total dick to me for no reason!" Alfred exclaimed, exasperated.

"Really? That doesn't seem like him... Oh, well. It's probably best to just steer clear of him while you're here." Jens advised him before continuing, "So... Are you planning on visiting any more countries while you stay here, Alfred?"

"Yep!" he answered cheerfully, "But I'm not sure where I want to go next. Maybe Italy, because he seemed pretty cool..."

Jens gave him an odd look. "Italy...? Oh, do you mean South Italy?"

"Oh, yeah! I think his name was... Leonardo? Yeah, that seems right..."

"Hm, yes... I think that would be a good place to start. Leonardo is very... Friendly, though his brother can be a bit of a brute at times. But, just like most of the countries in this world, you just need to be cautious as you get to know them, and once you're more familiar with them they'll be easier to understand."

"Alright," Alfred murmured, letting that information sink in. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Jens."

"It's my pleasure." the Prussian replied, "Now, for a slightly more serious topic... I'm assuming you still don't know how to get back to your own dimension, yes?"

"Yo, guys! I'm back!"

"I'm sorry, that was my boss. We were discussing some small political issues; nothing of much importance..."

Jens and Alfred shared a look as both Vlad and Lutz reentered the room at the same time. They silently agreed that they would continue this conversation another time, but for now they would just relax and drink German beer.

* * *

"So next we're gonna go to- hic- to Italy!" Alfred announced at the end of his long drunken rant, waving his arms dramatically from the inside of the airplane that was about to take off.

"Of course we are..." Vlad groaned. That was the last thing he wanted, this last short trip was enough traveling for one lifetime, in his opinion. "And try to be quieter. I knew it would be bad for you to start a drinking contest with Lutz..."

"Nah, it's fine! And I'd almost- hic- won anyways!" he lied, crossing his arms with a pout. "And I still can't believe that you don't dre... Drink! I mean, really? That's like, crazy..."

"Nyet, it is healthy. Besides I drink occasionally... Only on special occasions..." and those didn't tend to come around very often.

"Pffft. You're weird." Alfred yawned, beginning to feel more than a little drowsy. "But that's- hic- that's okay..." With one final yawn, Alfred closed his eyes, leaning against the Russian's shoulder as he finally passed out. Vlad tensed at this, but made no move to stop the boy as their flight took off into the air.

* * *

**малютка- little one, just in case you forgot**

**Tschüs- bye**

**Willkommen in Deutschland- welcome to Germany**

**Hesse- a state of Germany, where Cologne is located**

**Hello, my lovelies~ I'm alive! :D And guess what? This is the longest chapter I've written so far! *does celebratory dance* If only I'd had it out several weeks ago... *falls on face* But! It's here now, and I'll try to have the next one ready sooner! (I know I say this every time, but I try. :P) And I didn't really edit this chapter, to tell me if you see mistakes... Or things I could improve! Do you guys even think I'm improving...?**

**So, this chappie. Well, starting now this will be- traveling the world with Vlad and Alfred! *epic theme music* Well... Parts of the world, at least. *shrugs* I'm sorry that I wasn't very specific with locations and things here, but I don't know that much about Germany... Other than the useless things my German teacher has told me like how you don't like to put ice in your drinks. :I lol. But really, I love this country (though I've never been), and the language and stuffs... C: And I made the Cologne cathedral yellow... Because I can. :D Heheh, I can't wait to screw up more national monuments... (btw, if you don't know what the Cologne cathedral is, look it up. It's cool.) Actually, I was going to have them go to Berlin and see the wall, but that would've just been awkward for everybody. If you know anything about history, you'll know why... And what did you think of 2p Prussia? His looks, name personality... Was it okay? ;w; Meh...**

**So, I'm shouting out to all of you Germans out there~ And Italians... You're next. *le rape face* Oh, and I might have a little bit of 1p action in the next chap... We'll see~**

**And, as always, read and review with anything you want! (we're nearing 100, guys! *squees*) Ich liebe dich~!**


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